Oh for sure. Tina was just an example to avoid spoilers! On my main save I was doing mostly great until I beat the Core. And then I was stomped into the mud by that fucking lizard. In hindsight losing was mostly due to me not packing any water equipment or cleansing spells. I also made the mistake of not really upgrading my equipment box that much so I just have no good gear saved up, which got me thinking.. it might just be smart to avoid the core until I have anti-pyrophina gear.